methylalkane

Methylalkane is a term used to describe alkanes that have a methyl group as a substituent. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they contain only single bonds between carbon atoms and are composed solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. A methyl group is a functional group with the chemical formula -CH3. Therefore, a methylalkane is an alkane molecule where one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by a methyl group.

This substitution creates a branched structure. For example, the simplest methylalkane is isobutane, also known as 2-methylpropane. Its chemical formula is C4H10, the same as its straight-chain isomer, n-butane, but the arrangement of atoms is different. Isobutane has a central carbon atom bonded to three other carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom. The other two carbon atoms are each bonded to two hydrogen atoms.

The naming convention for methylalkanes follows the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclature. The parent alkane chain is identified, and the methyl group's position is indicated by a number. For instance, 2-methylpentane is a hexane molecule with a methyl group attached to the second carbon atom of the main chain. These branched structures influence the physical properties of the compounds, such as boiling point and melting point, compared to their straight-chain counterparts.